Clutch device



United States Patent fiice 3,340 815 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 3,340,815CLUTCH DEVICE Edmond L. Sinnott, 2103 Ocean St. Marshfield, Mass. 02050Filed Oct. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 586,447 2 Claims. (Cl. 103-129) ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A device for locking a piston aganst rotation in onedirection relative to the circular chamber wall of a rotary engine. Thedevice includes a groove in the piston opening towards the circularwall, and a movable member in the groove suitably dimensioned to wedgeitself between the groove bottom and the circular wall when the pistonexhibits a tendency to rotate in the said one direction.

The present invention, which is a continuation-in-part of my copendingapplication Serial No. 387,977, filed August 6, 1964, and now issued asU.S. Patent No. 3,282258, relates generally to rotary engines and moreparticularly to an improved means for controlling the direction ofpiston rotation.

En-gines of the above-mentioned type usually include a plurality ofpistons mounted within a generally circular housng for rotation about aoommon axis. Power for the engine is derived from the expansion of gasesin the chambers formed between the pistons. Means must therefore beprovided for locking each piston against rotation in one direction whileat the same time allowing for rotation of the next adjacent piston inthe opposite or drive direction. It is to this end that the presentinvention is directed.

A primary object of the present invention is the provision of aclutching device on each piston, which device cooperates with anadjacent wall of the engine housng to lock the piston against rotationin one direction regardless of the position of the piston within thehousng.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clutching deviceof the aforementioned type, the operation of which is controlled solelyby the relative movement of the piston on which it is carried.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial vertical sectonal view of a rotary engine embodyingthe concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectonal view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectonal view depicting an alternate embodiment of theinvention; and,

FIG. 4 is a sectonal view showing still another embodiment of theinvention.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein are best shown generalfeatures of the present invention, a rotary engine of the type describedin my copending U.S. applica tion Serial No. 387,977 (now issued asPatent No. 3,282,258) is shown at 10, the housng of which is comprisedin part of an Outer circular wall 12 and end plates 14 and 16. Aplurality of pstons, two of which are indicated in FIG. 1 by thereference numerals 18 and 20 are mounted for rotation within the housngabout a central shaft 22. The pistons are each provided with locking orclutching devices 23a and 23b, a more complete description of which willhereinafter be provided. The clutching devices prevent rotation of thepistons in the counterclockwise direction while at the same timeallowing for piston rotation in the opposite or drive direction.

The pistons 18 and 20 together with circular housng tion of the engineto thus provide a va-riable compression feature. A conventional sparkplug 26 (one of several positioned at selected spaced points around thehousng wall 12) is threaded into a passageway 28, the latter extendingradially through wall 12 into communication with chamber 24. Means (notshown) are provided for delivering a charge of fuel such as atomized-gaso1ine to the chamber 24. The fuel is then compressed betweenpist-Ons 18 and 20 and ignited by spark plug 24. The expanding gasesresulting from combustion exert forces on both pistons, which forces areindicated schematically in FIG. 1 by the arrows 30. These forces pushpiston 20 in a clockwise 0r drive direction while piston 18 is heldstationary by the locking action of clutching device 2311.

The means for providing a drive connection between the pistons and shaft22 as well as the fuel injection and exhaust means are described in mycopending application referred to above and since these components donot form a part of the present invention, they will not be dealt withfurther here. The present invention, which relates solely to theclutching devices employed to control the direction of piston rotation,will now be described in greater detail.

The embodiment of the nvention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is comprisedin part of a groove 30 machined into the end face or surface 32 of eachpiston. The grooves 30, which open towards the circular wall 12 of theengine housng, ar e each provided with bottom surfaces 34 which slopedownwardly in a direction opposite to the clockwise or drive directionfrom a shallow end at 36 to an opposite end of increased depth at 38.The grooves 30 cooperate with circular wall 12 to define elongatedchambers which in the embodiment herein disclosed, extend across thewidth of each piston in a direction parallel to the rotational axis ofshaft 22 (see FIG. 2).

Locking means, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the form of cylindricalrollers 40a and 4% are movably contained in the grooves 30. Bach rolleris provided with a diameter which is at least equal to and preferablyslightly greater than the minimum radial distance between the bottom 34of groove 30 and circular wall 12. It is to be understood, however, thatthe maximum diameter of rollers 40a and 4017 must be less than themaximum distance between the bottom of groeve 30 and wall 12. By keepingthe roller diameters within these dimensional ranges, lateral movementof the rollers within the grooves 30 will be possible, the said movementin turn being controlled by the direction of rotation of the pistons.More particularly, any tendency of a piston to rotate in acounterclockwise direction will cause the roller carried thereon to moveinto the shallow portion of groove 30 where it will become tightlywedged between the groove bottom 34 and circular wall 12. This wedgingaction will eiectively prevent counterclockwise rotation of the pistonwhile at the same time providing an eiective seal between the piston andthe circular housng wall 12. The clutch-ing device 23a in FIG. 1 isshown in this condition with the roller 40a tightly wedged between thebottom 34 of groove 30 and the circular wall 12.

Any tendency of a piston to rotate in a clockwise direction willautomatically result in the clutching device carried thereon beingdisengaged. In FIG. 1, clutching device 23b is in this condition due tothe movement of piston 20 in a clockwise direction. More particularly,the clockwise movement of the piston has caused roller 40b to bedisplaced towards the deeper end 38 of groove 30, thus moving it out ofwedged engagement between groove bottom 34 and wall 12.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3wherein the groove 42 has been slightly modified by previding a bottem44 which slopes gradually frem the end face 46 of pisten 47 towards adeep end 48. In this embodment, the leckng means is cernprised of agenerally wedge-shaped bleck 50 having a maximum dimensien measured-radially from the retatienal axis ef shaft 22 which is greater than theminimum radial distance between the bottem 44 of groeve 48 and thecircular wall 12.The bleek 50 is further previded with an upper curvedsurface 52 having a radius of curvature identical te that of theadjacent surface of wall 12. The bleek is adapted te move laterallywithin groeve 42 into and out of a wedged position much in the samemanner as the rollers 40a and 4% illustrated in FIG. 1. A thirdembodiment of the inventien is illustrated in FIG. 4 as comprising anelengated groeve 54 again having a bottem 56 slepng downwardly in adirectien epposite tethat of the drive direction of the pisten. In thisembediment the radius of the piston has been purposely cut down teaccemmedate -a larger lecking device 58, the latter heing previded witha curved upper surface 60 designed te be seated tightly against theadjacent inner surface of curved wall 12 when the locking device 58 ismoved into an operatve wedged pesition by virtue of a force beingexerted en the piston in a ceuntercleckwise directien.

In view of the foregeing, it should new be apparent te one skilled inthe art that the above-described embediments each nclude the feature ofa locking device centained within a groeve having a bettem which slopesdewnwardly in a direction epposite te the drive directien of the engine.The lecking devices coeperate with the grooves in which they are carriedto prevent rotatien of the pistens in one directien without in any wayimpeding retatien of the pistons in the other directien. The lockingdevices .as well as the groeve cenfigurations may be vared considerablywithout departing frern this basic concept.

The advantages of the present invention are primarily in the simplicityand reliabilty of the locking deviees cembined with the fact that whenin a wedged positien the devices each provide an improved seal betweenthe pistens and the circular heusing wall 12.

It is my intention te cover a1l changes and modificatiens of theembodiments herein chesen fer purposes of disclesure which de net departfrem the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Per use with a rotary engine having a plurality of pistens meuntedfer retatien ab0ut a cemmon axis within an annular chamber, said chamberhaving at least one circular wall surrounding said axis, means carriedby each piston fer preventing retatien thereef in one directien withoutimpeding rotatien of said pisten in the oppesite directien, said meanscomprising: a groeve in the surface of said pisten opening tewards saidcircular wall, said groeve extending in a direction parallel te saidcemmon axis acress the full width of said pisten, the bettem of saidgroeve sloping downwardly in said one directien frem a shallew end te aneppesite end of increased depth, and locking means extending the entirelength of said groeve and movably positiened therein, said locking meansbeing adapted fer wedged engagement between the bettem of said groeveand said circular wall when said piston exhibits a tendency te retate insaid one directien, the said wedged engagement being sufiicient teprevent pisten rotatien in said one direction while at the same timeproviding an effective seal between the bettom of said groeve and saidcircular wall.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said locking means isprovided with a lateral dimensien measured radially frorn said cemmonaxis which is at least equal te the minimum radial distance between thebottom of said groeve and said circular wall, the maximum lateraldimensien of said locking means, again measured radially frem saidcommen axis, being less than the maximum radial distance between thegroeve bettem and said circular wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 191,250 5/1877 N0rdmann 91-60642,104 1/ 1900 Essick 91-60 728,536 5/1903 Breed et al 9160 3,282,25811/1966 Sinnott 12311 FOREIGN PATENTS 606,317 11/1934 Germany. 346,6864/ 1931 Great Britain.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Prmary Examiner.

WILBUR J. GOODLIN, Examiner.

1. FOR USE WITH A ROTARY ENGINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PISTONS MOUNTEDFOR ROTATION ABOUT A COMMON AXIS WITHIN AN ANNULAR CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBERHAVING AT LEAST ONE CIRCULAR WALL SURROUNDING SAID AXIS, MEANS CARRIEDBY EACH PISTON FOR PREVENTING ROTATION THEREOF IN ONE DIRECTION WITHOUTIMPEDING ROTATION OF SAID PISTON IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID MEANSCOMPRISING: A GROOVE IN THE SURFACE OF SAID PISTON OPENING TOWARDS SAIDCIRCULAR WALL, SAID GROOVE EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAIDCOMMON AXIS ACROSS THE FULL WIDTH OF SAID PISTON, THE BOTTOM OF SAIDGROOVE SLOPING DOWNWARDLY IN SAID ONE DIRECTION FROM A SHALLOW END TO ANOPPOSITE END OF INCREASED DEPTH, AND LOCKING MEANS EXTENDING THE ENTIRELENGTH OF SAID GROOVE AND MOVABLY POSITIONED THEREIN, SAID LOCKING MEANSBEING ADAPTEF FOR WEDGED ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF SAID GROOVEAND SAID CIRCULAR WALL WHEN SAID PISTON EXHIBITS A TENDENCY TO ROTATE INSAID ONE DIRECTION, THE SAID WEDGED ENGAGEMENT BEING SUFFICIENT TOPREVENT PISTON ROTATION IN SAID ONE DIRECTION WHILE AT THE SAME TIMEPROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE SEAL BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF SAID GROOVE AND SAIDCIRCULAR WALL.